OCAM warns against advance of radical Islam in Belgium

A radical form of Islam is spreading in Belgium, to the detriment of moderate Islam.

This emerges from a new report by the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (known as OCAM). The Mediahuis group newspapers echo this today (Wednesday).

OCAM warns, in its most recent report, of the influence of Salafism in Belgium and Europe, “An increasing number of mosques and Islamic centres in Belgium are controlled by Wahhabism. This is the Salafist missionary apparatus.”

Wahhabism is a radical current of Sunni Islam promoted by Saudi Arabia. It advocates a return to the original “purity” of Islam.

In Belgium, the Imams from this particular current regularly preach in the mosques, and increasingly claim to be strictly Wahhabis, in particular within Brussels, Antwerp and Mechlin.

Simultaneously, the current is spreading in Europe, via Wahhabi television channels and online media.

OCAM say this is a minority. However the Coordination Unit is putting people on alert. “The moderate Imam in his mosque can do nothing about this media violence.”

The daily publication De Standaard says that the chairman of OCAM, Paul Van Tigchelt, did not wish to respond following the leaking of this report.

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